Failed 901 & 902 Exam :(

Hey guys just wanted to update you guys that i failed both my 901 & 902 exams. Im pretty bummed to be honest. To get into the IT field has always been my dream. And now i have to be stuck up even more with a dead a** job.

Could anyone give me advice on how to pass these exams? My resources that I used for studying was the Exam Cram book by David L Prowse and Professor Messer's videos on youtube. Guys your input on this would be highly appreciated if there is any other sources i can use to pass these exams

It sounds like you had all the resources required for the exam. Professor Messer is a great video source and helped me pass all my exams first time. The one thing I would suggest is that you practice on IT physically. If you are starting off in the IT world the best thing you can do is get hands-on with equipment. Practice building a PC and learn of all the components required. Install software and configure different Windows settings. Set a static IP and configure it on a switch or router. I always find that doing something hands-on is the best kind of practice, and if you're new to IT you going to want to do this a lot.

Another thing I suggest is to take a look at the CompTIA objectives. This shows you everything that could possibly be in the exam. If you use them as a checklist and tick off everything that you are confident in, you should be ready for the exam. Practice on the areas you are most weak at. Did you get an exam report? What were your weak areas?

I also advise using a practice exam before hand to see if you're ready for the real thing. I always use MeasureUps as it's closely related to the real exam on a difficulty scale. You can also customize it to test you on certain subjects or in a timed real-life scenario. If you can reach 80-90% on these you will be ready.

Don't be disheartened that you failed. We all fail exams now and again but you just need to pick yourself back up and keep trying. Hell, even I failed both my A+ exams when I first started IT. They were my first ever IT exams and I had no clue what I was doing. But I retried and passed after hard study. Now I'm continuing to study for other exams and mostly pass them first time because I've dealt with CompTIA/MS exams and know what to expect, and I know the type of training I'm use to. Keep trying mate, you'll get there. Plus you have the TechExam community to give you support and advise if needed .

Hi Raynard! That is unfortunate to hear but you should not let failure define you. Try for CompTIA's IT Fundamentals or Google's IT Support Professional. I would think these will be enough to get your feet wet in the industry.

How did you fail both exams? That is where you must've been going wrong.

Start with the 901 and put all of your focus on it. It's good to BRIEFLY cover the 902 objectives once over - there is extremely slight crossover between the two, but most of the crossover is seen on the 902 from the 901. Take each exam on separate months.

A+ is usually all about experience and just requires overall great knowledge through repetitive practice.
Do NOT give up, The IT fundamentals course covers some good material but it's certainly not worth it.

If you did not use any practice questions then that is where you have mucked up! Grab a good set of practice questions, I myself used Measure-Up and the ones from CompTIA's website. I also went digging online for free practice tests on different websites from trusted sources. Practice questions challenge your mind on the material you have and haven't learnt, and really further helps you identify how different material that you will go on to learn can be used in a question.

If you did not use any practice questions then that is where you have mucked up! Grab a good set of practice questions, I myself used Measure-Up and the ones from CompTIA's website. I also went digging online for free practice tests on different websites from trusted sources. Practice questions challenge your mind on the material you have and haven't learnt, and really further helps you identify how different material that you will go on to learn can be used in a question.

No worries on the no-go, man. If we didn't fail these test they wouldn't be worth anything. Echoing what was said above, the best way to go about it is just to schedule one exam. Focus particularly on that exam only with doing a little crossover for clarification.. That way you aren't trying to remember 2 exams worth of information at one time. This way you can take it step by step and become CompTIA A+ certified.

Meyer is better at breaking it down easy...

Originally Posted by RaynardXO

Hey guys just wanted to update you guys that i failed both my 901 & 902 exams. Im pretty bummed to be honest. To get into the IT field has always been my dream. And now i have to be stuck up even more with a dead a** job.

Could anyone give me advice on how to pass these exams? My resources that I used for studying was the Exam Cram book by David L Prowse and Professor Messer's videos on youtube. Guys your input on this would be highly appreciated if there is any other sources i can use to pass these exams

Buy the latest "All in One" Book by Mike Meyers. Do ONE test at a time, 901 first*. Get the Darril Gibson Android APP for practice tests. (about $8, from memory, at the Play store). Also, if they are on sale at the moment, sign up for practice tests 901 on Udemy for about $10-$15. If they are on sale, you might as well subscribe to the 902 practice tests, also... (you will get to those eventually)

Now the hard work begins.
1) Read the Meyers book, all the 901 stuff. Take notes. HAND-written notes. When you are done with all the 901 study (that could take weeks, by itself)
2) Take practice test for 901. Android App, Udemy, even the Meyers book includes a CD with one, I think. Whatever. Don't expect a passing score at this point. Find your weakest two domains.
3) Now go to Youtube. Find the Messer playlist that covers your weakest two domains. Use those videos and TAKE NOTES. Hand-written notes.
4) Return to step 2. When you start scoring mid-90s at Step 2, Schedule the exam for 901.

When you pass 901, return to step 1 to start on the 902 stuff.

I have passed (on first sitting) SIX CompTIA exams now. For each of them, a Mike Meyers book was my PRIMARY study material. For the first 3 exams, a Mike Meyers book was my only study material, and I did not do practice exams!

I have noticed something though...
Even though the messer videos tend to make me very, very sleepy...
They are also somewhat helpful. After studying with Meyers, I pretty much know all that Messer would try to teach me. But just hearing Messer relate the same information a little bit differently helps me understand it better. You grasp the information better when you see it presented two different ways...

*the book is clearly labelled as to what to study for 901, and what to study for 902

Thank you guys so, so much. I've read all of your feedback and all i can THANK YOU. There really are some good guys out there and @ Techexams are where the good Tech guys are at. I've taken you guy's feedback very seriously and will act on it ASAP.

For those who are wondering what my next certification/s will be it will definitively be the following:
N+, Security+, MCSA/MCSE with Linux+

I am really interested in the SysAdmin field. So if you guys have any recommendations on certs to get that'll be suitable for a SysAdmin feell free to reply the thread.

Once again thank you guys for the feedback!

Oh and i forgot to mention the CISCO Certifications as well. Those ones look very interesting as well.

Last edited by RaynardXO; 01-29-2018 at 10:17 AM.
Reason: Forgot to add more information

My advice would be use the Mike Meyers all in one, get good understanding of the concepts. Stay away from exam cram books unless you already have a good understanding of everything. Also, echoing what Skyliinez92 said.. buy faulty desktops/laptops and repair them. That will enable you to understand the content much more intuitively.

Thank you guys so, so much. I've read all of your feedback and all i can THANK YOU. There really are some good guys out there and @ Techexams are where the good Tech guys are at. I've taken you guy's feedback very seriously and will act on it ASAP.

For those who are wondering what my next certification/s will be it will definitively be the following:
N+, Security+, MCSA/MCSE with Linux+

I am really interested in the SysAdmin field. So if you guys have any recommendations on certs to get that'll be suitable for a SysAdmin feell free to reply the thread.

Once again thank you guys for the feedback!

Oh and i forgot to mention the CISCO Certifications as well. Those ones look very interesting as well.

Being a long-time SA, and knowing what I know NOW....

I would advise anyone looking for a SA track certification to seek

Security+ and CASP, in that order.

Linux+ looks good on an SA resume, but definitely go Security+ first.

Forget about Microsoft certs unless it is focused on Windows Server 2008 specifically. (MCSA: Windows Server 2008 would look good on a SA Resume')

I would never discourage one from seeking A+ or Network+ certification. But these are considered to be the same "rank" as Security+ (unless you ask CompTIA, that is...Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaa). You will find a lot more jobs that require (or greatly desire) Security+ than you will that require A+. And I can't remember the last time I saw a job listing that was looking for Network+ specifically.

Any job these days, the EXPERIENCE you have on your resume' trumps everything. But if two resumes' are equally strong and the job seekers are competing for an SA job in particular?
Security+, CASP, Linux+ and MCSA Windows Server 2008 would be a "killer" mix of certs to make you stand out. If it came down to certs, that is.

Just my humble opinion, for what it's worth. But on a side note, I wish there were more SAs out there with strong A+ skills. A+ is considered the easiest of the IT certs. HOWEVER...

(true story) I was working with a very skilled, knowledgeable SA. It fell on him to repair a workstation with VERY OBVIOUS signs of a bad power supply. I was wicked busy that day, so it took me a while to notice...
Hey, my buddy's been working on that workstation all morning. So I spoke up and told him he might want to check the power supply. Then I had to go to another building for a while. Came back three hours later and he's still wondering how to fix the workstation.

THAT is what I mean by I wish there were more SAs with A+ level skills. Dude easily passed Security+ without studying. But couldn't fix the simplest of thick client hardware issues. (facepalm)

For those who are wondering what my next certification/s will be it will definitively be the following:
N+, Security+, MCSA/MCSE with Linux+

I am really interested in the SysAdmin field. So if you guys have any recommendations on certs to get that'll be suitable for a SysAdmin feell free to reply the thread.

You're doing what I'm doing in a similar way. I've been a sysadmin before and can honestly say it was the best job I've ever had. It was one of my first IT roles and I was under-qualified, but they saw something in me I guess and it started off my IT career. Unfortunately the company went bust 3 years later and I'm stuck in a 2nd line role now gaining my certs.

I'm going for my Server 2016 and RedHat certs after Windows 10 so when I do find a decent sysadmin role again I'll be more qualified. If you're going for the CompTIA certs I'd recommend Professor Messer. You should also aim for a desktop OS cert to spread out your skills. Personally I'd recommend Windows 10 over 7 now.

Also, if you plan to use Linux in the future I would recommend to practice using it now. Don't leave it until the time you're studying, you won't be able to learn a full OS in a few weeks. You can probably learn enough to pass the exam in that time, but if you want to be a sysadmin in a Linux environment, it will take you a few years until you're fully confident in your role.

Forget about Microsoft certs unless it is focused on Windows Server 2008 specifically. (MCSA: Windows Server 2008 would look good on a SA Resume')

I would never discourage one from seeking A+ or Network+ certification. But these are considered to be the same "rank" as Security+ (unless you ask CompTIA, that is...Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaa). You will find a lot more jobs that require (or greatly desire) Security+ than you will that require A+. And I can't remember the last time I saw a job listing that was looking for Network+ specifically.

Any job these days, the EXPERIENCE you have on your resume' trumps everything. But if two resumes' are equally strong and the job seekers are competing for an SA job in particular?
Security+, CASP, Linux+ and MCSA Windows Server 2008 would be a "killer" mix of certs to make you stand out. If it came down to certs, that is.

Just my humble opinion, for what it's worth. But on a side note, I wish there were more SAs out there with strong A+ skills. A+ is considered the easiest of the IT certs. HOWEVER...

(true story) I was working with a very skilled, knowledgeable SA. It fell on him to repair a workstation with VERY OBVIOUS signs of a bad power supply. I was wicked busy that day, so it took me a while to notice...
Hey, my buddy's been working on that workstation all morning. So I spoke up and told him he might want to check the power supply. Then I had to go to another building for a while. Came back three hours later and he's still wondering how to fix the workstation.

THAT is what I mean by I wish there were more SAs with A+ level skills. Dude easily passed Security+ without studying. But couldn't fix the simplest of thick client hardware issues. (facepalm)

Why do you mention Server 2008 specifically? Also, the Server 2008 exams have been retired now.

Why do you mention Server 2008 specifically? Also, the Server 2008 exams have been retired now.

OK, once you've been out in the field for a while, you will know this is true. While everybody goes into IT dreaming of fielding and servicing the bleeding edge hardware and software,

Reality is, for any job that pays decent, you will be baby-sitting stuff that was outdated 10 years ago. A lot of the equipment I've been servicing the last couple of years is running Windows XP. YES, you read that right. Seven years ago, I was involved in a major nation-wide rollout/update to Windows server 2003. (do the Math) It's 2018 now and the only Server 2012 box I have touched is running on a VM.

You might get lucky to work on newer stuff if you take a job at a small company with a large IT budget. But the average company that hires SAs is slow to change/upgrade. There are good reasons for that. Every major upgrade comes with new headaches to iron out, and the time it takes to do that is expensive....

Consequently, the most valuable cert on today's resume is not for the latest Server class operating system. You're likely to use knowledge gained from a cert. that is about 10 years old.

If the Server 2008 exams have been retired already that is...unfortunate.
Windows Server 2016 might be the MCSA available today, I guess. But if so, that's tragic. The skills you learn for MSCA Windows Server 2016 will come in really handy around 2026 or so. You think you'll remember that long?

Guys the feedback on my post has been very good for me. I really want you guys to know that i appreciate you guys giving me your knowledge and experience within the IT field. I do have one more question I'd like to ask you guys and you are more than welcome to comment. I am currently based in South Africa right (and yes Pearson Vue centers are available in the country lol) anyway...

I am looking to get a job overseas once i'm done with these certs that i mentioned, do you guys reckon that I'd stand a higher chance to get a working visa with these certs in countries like e.g Australia, Canada or even the UK??

And if any of you are working abroad please feel free to tell me your experience and how you went about to get a job abroad with your certs.

Guys the feedback on my post has been very good for me. I really want you guys to know that i appreciate you guys giving me your knowledge and experience within the IT field. I do have one more question I'd like to ask you guys and you are more than welcome to comment. I am currently based in South Africa right (and yes Pearson Vue centers are available in the country lol) anyway...

I am looking to get a job overseas once i'm done with these certs that i mentioned, do you guys reckon that I'd stand a higher chance to get a working visa with these certs in countries like e.g Australia, Canada or even the UK??

And if any of you are working abroad please feel free to tell me your experience and how you went about to get a job abroad with your certs.

Hate to burst your bubble...

I've worked overseas many years, and more than once. For any employer willing to hire you from (a different country), that employer has to AT THE MINIMUM be willing to let you relocate. That means they have to be 1000% sure you are right for the job. You need to hit the ground running. And your employer needs to KNOW that you will hit the ground running. Worse, people who are willing to work overseas often expect their employers (for good reason) to cover relocation costs, housing, cost of living, etc.

What it boils down to is...to get a decent job in your own country requires experience. If you have certs also, that is a plus. (but not required)

To get a job in a different country requires twice as much experience, and it all has to be easily and quickly verifiable. If you have certs also, that is a plus...and in some cases required.

Overseas employers are a lot more "picky". As your question is worded, the proper answer is NO. You get the job with experience.

Sorry. Just tellin' it like it is. Certs are not a shortcut to employment in IT. Definitely not if your aim is to enter IT with an overseas assignment.

Experience is 1st, Education is 2nd, Certs are 5th (not important enough to qualify for 3rd).

I suppose a better approach would be to lie to the guy, to give him false hope? It's tough to break into IT at all, if all you've got going for you is certs. Overseas jobs are premium jobs. You can get premium pay, but you have to be at the top of your game (read: very experienced) to even qualify. If you've got the experience, then any certs you list are almost redundant.

I just passed my 902 this Saturday. My first try on the 901 I failed it for 6 points without putting much effort studying. But then I really wanted to pass this, because it's part of my class program at college. So I did put effort did many pre assessment tests and passed it. The 902 test was a little bit harder. It is time consuming, you really gotta understand what the question is about and focus on the keywords, the practice tests will help you a lot, you gotta score 100% easily, take them over and over until you know right away what the question is asking and remember all the concepts, you will figure out in those tricky questions that you focus only in keywords.

If you really want to be an IT, you have to study a lot, it isn't just about playing with computers, you gotta learn the foundations, how everything works, it has to be your passion. For example, I learned how to change IPs when I was really young because I used to play at a internet café and they only connect through IPs to play in other servers, and I learned about computers, fixing, building, with my own computer, if you can do that easily and can picture all the computer parts in your head, and name them one by one, then the A+ won't be a big deal, practice will make you remember easily.

Regarding IT overseas, it's very hard that a company will hire someone with just an A+, certifications, that's entry level and they can get it locally without going on all the hassle to get you a working visa. But if you really want to get a job overseas you need to grow, so A+ is a good start. Oversea jobs are usually Sys Admins, Database Admin, Software, etc. So I would recommend you to get an A+ then, go for higher rank certificates, like CCNA, CCNP, MSCE, and get lots of experience, get a college degree and then you will have a chance to land a job overseas.

Dam bro it sucks but you know what at least you tried, and now you know what are the weakest points of yours. Just improve over point, and I would actually take a practice exam just be really prepared for.

Keep going. No matter what. i failed my first 220-901 and i felt stupid because financially, its just God and me. so failing was very hard financially. But i had to tell myself that this is A WAY OUT OF POVERTY. So either im gonna get my ish together and keep trying or im gonna settle with being a bum!!!!

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